Boom, Crash, 7 Years Back
by Senbei x Cup Ramen
Summary: Because (unintended) time-traveling solves everything, right? Modern AU High school NaLu, some Gruvia and other pairings.
1. Bite off more than you can chew

**A/N:** Hey guys! Look who crawled out from the hobbit hole with a new fanfiction? It's me, Cup Ramen! *Insert automated applause* So. I was thinking that since it's quite difficult to get into the zone to write Shamelessly Sassy Superheroes (SSS) all the time, it'd be good to write two main works which are polar opposites and switch between the two. You know, just to make sure I'm not a dead writer or anything. Don't expect the same style of writing as in SSS since this story will be less episodic and the language used will be a lot plainer. Enjoy!

 **P.s.** Please don't be deterred by my use of the word 'shit' twice in the beginning because I swear I only use it those two times! Also, I'm using Australian English spelling so don't mind it too much!

Shout out to **chokecherries** \- remember when we were talking about needing a time travel story? Surprise!

 **Disclaimer:** I don't own Fairy Tail (Duh).

* * *

 **Title: Boom, Crash, 7 Years Back**

 **Chapter 1: Bite off more than you can chew**

Mondays had always been considered as shit days as far as the rest of the working world was concerned and Lucy Heartfilia wholeheartedly agreed as she peeked through the white wooden blinds of her office window, watching latecomers haggardly rush through the company doors. It was one minute till nine in the morning, her underlings were tardy and gaunt from being brought back to reality, Mondayitis was being like a clingy and possessive boyfriend and the contents of a single letter that lay open on her desk made her want to hurl herself off of the nearest cliff. In other words – it was Monday and it was a shit day.

The blonde let out a long sigh and her gaze shifted to her desk once again, scanning the piles of finished paperwork that she had arranged earlier this morning. When her eyes finally landed on that dreaded letter whose first line read 'High School Reunion' in bolded cursive she sighed again.

"Holy crumpet sticks, no." She spoke out loud to no one in particular.

Seven years had passed since she had graduated from Magnolia High and apart from regularly meeting up with her close friend group she had done little to keep in touch with the rest of her classmates – and she had wanted it to stay that way for good reason too. Memories of her final school year were more or less plagued with feelings of regret and remembrances of heartbreak for a crush she never even began to pursue. Thinking back to her cowardly high school self whose naivety and fervent belief that 'if you don't try, you can't fail' made her cringe more than just a little. If she could turn back time she'd probably do everything differently but even she knew that it was meaningless to dwell on a time that would never be found again. Anyway, she must have been out of her mind when in spite of everything, she responded to Levy's text about the event with an 'A-OK I'll be there' – Another thing to add to her list of regrets.

* * *

"Levy-chan I don't want to go anymore! I change my mind!" Lucy continued to whine to her blue-haired bestie as she clung to the knob of her front door trying not to be dragged away to the high school reunion. Home right now was the only sanctuary to this hell that she had unwittingly signed herself up for.

"Come _on_ Lu-chan – you _promised_ me you'd go and you _always_ keep your promises. Plus, I've already told Cana and Juvia we'd meet up with them there!"

"I SO did not promise! It was just something I decided on the spur of the moment and now I _really_ don't want to go!" Her grip on the door was as tight as ever but why did she feel as if Levy had somehow turned into Hercules? Lucy barely stopped herself from stumbling in her heels as she struggled to anchor herself onto her safe zone.

"Lu-chan, you gave me your word and that in itself is enough of a promise." Levy proceeded to tug a very defeated Lucy into the taxi, silently celebrating over her victory.

The taxi ride to the restaurant took maybe a quarter of an hour, after all, Lucy _did_ move out of her family home to be closer to work though now she was somewhat regretting that too. The growing feeling of nausea, excitement and nervousness increased tenfold once she exited the taxi. Familiar faces could be seen through the large glass windows of the establishment and the blonde gulped apprehensively as she and Levy made their way to the entrance. Was it just her imagination or were her hands super clammy and shaky? Seriously? She was fine holding meetings and large conferences for work but apparently her private life was a different matter entirely. Wiping her sweaty palms onto the fabric of her black cocktail dress, she cleared her rusty throat, preparing for the oncoming battle.

* * *

Walking into the restaurant, Lucy could make out recognisable voices amongst the rampant chatter. From the corner of her eye she could spot Cana and Juvia seated closer to the edge of the bistro, gesturing for her and Levy to join them. As she made a beeline towards the pair she greeted some old friends, marvelling at how everyone had changed throughout the years.

"So, nice of you to finally join us Lucy. Man I thought you'd pull a no-show on us tonight," Cana drawled, obviously drunk again.

"She tried and she failed."

Lucy grimaced as Levy shot her a look.

Cana raised a brow at the blonde, " _Oh?_ ".

"Uh. . . Let's not talk about this – Levy, did you need some help getting onto the dining chair? It's kind of tall and you're. . . well, kind of struggling." Lucy tried to shift the topic of the conversation, hoping that they wouldn't bring it up again.

"Oh, why don't we all order?" Juvia piped in conveniently.

As if on cue, Warren made his way to their table, a stack of menus in his hand.

"Why hello ladies! How's the night treating you? Glad you could come!"

"Oh well we just arrived but it sure is lively here! How have you been?" Levy spoke for the rest of the group.

"Glad you asked! I'm actually –"

"OH! Didn't you make it big or something? You're working for one of those technology companies right? What was it again? Banana? Pear?" Cana swiftly interrupted the man, struggling to recall what she had heard from the grapevine.

"It's Apple, Cana. . . " Warren looked slightly displeased at the brunette.

"And to think that back then all you'd do in class was fly paper planes," Juvia was honestly surprised at the change.

"Well you know what they say - it's shocking when the underdog succeeds!" Warren boasted and the rest of the group eye-rolled. "I'll send in the orders. Make sure to catch up with everyone else too though they'd probably just make their way here themselves."

"Man, they seriously outdid themselves this time with the reunion and all. Look at this place! Good food and good booze and good ambience." Cana drunkenly commented, making sure to emphasize on the 'booze'.

Lucy nodded, agreeing with her remark. This was one of the more popular restaurant bars in the city - her colleagues had named it the best place for Friday night drinks or something. The blonde surveyed the modern interior of the establishment, feeling somewhat overwhelmed at the sight of faces she hadn't seen in years. Everyone had changed – some more than others and even though they all began at the same starting point, the lives they each led and the paths they walked were so different now. A strange feeling of nostalgia tugged at her heart, filling her with memories of a time long gone. It was a mix of bliss and sadness that she hadn't felt in a long time and it was exactly why she didn't want to come tonight.

"Lucy, Levy, Juvia and Cana! I haven't seen you all in ages!" Erza's voice brought Lucy out of her reverie. The redhead, looking no different from what she did seven years ago made her way to greet them all."How have you all been?"

"As dandy as a dandy can be," Cana took a swig of her glass of beer.

"That's good to know," Erza nodded before speaking once again. "So what are you all up to nowadays?"

"Well, Juvia is working as a wedding planner at the moment, what about you Erza-san?"

"Oh, so I heard from Mirajane. You're both working in the same company right? I'm working as a lawyer at a firm nearby." Erza paused before directing her gaze towards a certain brunette, "Cana, I'll pass you my business card before the night ends just in case you need some legal assistance."

 _As expected of our school captain_ , Lucy thought to herself.

"Well, as for me, I've opened a bookstore in the city. It's close to Lu-chan's workplace so we meet up often with these two for lunch."

"That's nice! It seems like something you'd do Levy. Maybe I should pop by sometime too. What about you Lucy?" Erza looked over to the blonde. The expectation and anticipation was evident in her eyes and that made Lucy squirm in her seat.

"Ah, well, it's not as interesting as what the others are doing but I'm currently the deputy editor for a magazine company."

"That's amazing Lucy! It's so wonderful to hear so many success stories from our year. We've always been the problem cohort so it makes me happy to see where everyone is now." Erza nodded firmly, looking as proud as a mother. "Remember Max? The one who had an obsession with the broom? He's an event planner now and a janitor on the side! Who would have guessed?"

". . .Well the janitor part was somewhat within our range of expectations," Levy added before letting Erza continue.

Within minutes the group had become completely immersed in a discussion about the past - recalling events that were once routine to their high school selves but now were just happy memories. Back then they were filled with dreams and hope for an unknown future that lay ahead. They were ignorant and adventurous and at the peak of their youth. But to Lucy, it was just a time that would never be real again. As the rest of her friends greeted their fondest memories that had been tucked away for seven years, the blonde could only savour the bittersweet aftertaste of the rose-coloured recollections. Not wanting to stay a part of the discussion, Lucy couldn't help but let her attention wander. Her eyes drifted across the room, stopping only when they landed on a certain white-haired individual – _Lisanna._ The blonde's chocolate orbs widened in response but she wasn't able to avert her gaze.

Lisanna was standing by a decorative wooden pillar, conversing with Evergreen, Laki and a few others. Lucy sucked in a breath as she saw Bickslow walk up to the group and casually sling his arm around the girl's waist before pecking her softly on the lips. _No way_.

"Didn't think you and Natsu would end so quickly," Evergreen matter-of-factly stated as she took a sip of her martini.

"Really? I kind of saw it coming - no offense intended!" Laki sputtered the last part quickly, unsure why she had let anything slip from her mouth at all.

"None taken! I guess we weren't really made for each other. Like, how do I put it? It just didn't work out I guess. Well, even though I say that, we're still good friends to this day."

"Well, you know what they say – youth is the height of passion and adventure but after that, the excitement just fizzles out."

"Wow, how unromantic Freed. Butt hurt from being rejected again?"

"I'm not butt hurt from anything! It's called reality Evergreen." The green-haired man huffed.

The conversation continued but the topic had ended as quickly as it came. Lucy was left to mull over what she had heard. So Natsu wasn't with Lisanna anymore? She was sure they'd still be together, get married, and fill the world with pink and white-haired babies. Well you get the gist - they looked like they'd be the 'high school sweethearts' kind of couple but maybe Lucy was just too deep in heartbreak to really notice anything at all back then. It's not like it had anything to do with her though. Who knows if Natsu was with someone else now? She'd hardly even had a decent conversation with him and he probably wouldn't recognise her if they passed each other on the streets. Chances were they wouldn't see each other tonight either and the thought of it both relieved and bothered Lucy.

* * *

The night went on and it was maybe nearly ten by now. Lucy and the others had conversed and reconnected with the majority of their classmates, exchanging phone numbers and Facebook details with several promises to meet up again in the near future. The energized chatter and celebrations from the beginning of the night had fizzled out. Instead, people had split up into smaller groups for conversation.

"Hey Levy-chan, I think it's high time I leave now. I've got a meeting tomorrow morning so I'd rather not stay for too long."

"Ah yeah, me too Lu-chan. I think Juvia has work tomorrow too so let's all go and call a taxi."

"Um, what about Cana?" The blonde inquired, pointing towards the brunette who had surrounded herself with a fortress of alcoholic beverages.

"What _about_ Cana? She's absolutely plastered but I think she wants to stay," Levy shook her head exasperatedly before speaking once again, "Erza says she'll take care of Cana."

 _As expected of the school captain_ , Lucy thought to herself for the second time that night.

* * *

Stepping out of the restaurant was like stepping back into the plane of reality. The chill of the cold summer air greeted them and the lively mood from just moments ago made the silence feel strangely unpleasant.

As if unable to bear the loneliness that hung in the air, Juvia quickly spoke up, "Juvia will go hail a taxi," before hurriedly walking towards the taxi bay.

"I'm so tired," Levy mumbled before yawning a little.

"Yeah." The blonde's reply was barely audible. Perhaps it was only her who missed the past. "So, Gajeel didn't come tonight?"

"Oh, he's going to attend a bit later. Though it doesn't really matter to me. We practically see each other every day."

"I guess."

Levy was the only one from their group who was currently in a relationship. Maybe that was why she wasn't so affected by today's gathering. She and Gajeel had been together since after graduation – they were literally made for each other.

"The taxi's here guys!" Juvia motioned at a yellow cab that had pulled up.

"Maybe it's best if Levy-chan boards first. Looks like she's about to pass out from sleepiness."

As Levy was very slowly getting into the taxi, Lucy noticed another cab pull up behind them. From the corner of her eyes she caught a glimpse of cherry blossom-coloured hair and immediately, her body stilled.

"Oi, flame brain we're totally late! And it's your bloody fault for taking so long!"

"Hey! Ouch, don't kick me you damn popsicle!"

 _Voices that she hadn't heard in seven years._

Juvia, who was about to get into the taxi turned back to Lucy, "Lucy-san, how about we drop Levy-san off first since – " her voice trailed off but the blonde didn't notice. She hadn't even registered a single thing besides the presence of the man who had exited the cab behind them. He was dressed in a simple button up shirt and matching black pants. Nursing his rear end which had been imprinted with Gray's shoe-print, he began to speak before turning to face the blonde's direction. And in that moment, onyx orbs met Lucy's brown ones.

"God, hurry up slanty eyes! Erza's gonna kill us!"

"Oh shit!" Natsu broke off his gaze towards the blonde, rushing into the restaurant with his frenemy. Apparently Erza was still a force to be reckoned with.

"Guys, what's taking you so long? Taxi. In. Now," Levy drowsily demanded, patting the seat next to her.

Lucy's heart was still thumping loudly from the exchange but she knew better than to raise her hopes for no reason. Turning back to get into the taxi she realized that Juvia was staring off dazedly into blank space.

"Gray," the blunette's voice was soft and poignant. As if coming back to her senses she quickly made her way into the car.

* * *

 **A/N:** So . . . How was it? It's a lot more different from the comedy and pazzash in SSS isn't it? I hope you guys liked it nevertheless! I actually found it really difficult to split what I've already written into chapters . . . since it literally flows so well (too well). **The second chapter will be posted within the next week**. I just need to have it checked over but I prefer to have chapter 3 in reserve before any new posts. Ohohoho, am I the only one who's super hyped about it? Writing this reminded me of breezy summer nights - aka them nostalgia feels. Gods, my playlist was filled with nice, sad, youthful, summery Japanese songs while I was writing this. Try listening to: **I will - Chelsy** and **Planetarium cover by Nero**. Youtube it kids! See you soon! Don't forget to review! Please for the life of me, review. I want to know what you think about this new work! Pretty please with 77 strawberries on top!

 **NOTICE: Senbei and I are contemplating having Senbei write and alternate version of this story with no time travel involved. We've got the story line planned for that too but we would be happy to receive feedback about what you think. Thank you! Much Love! xoxoxo**


	2. Elvis has left the room (or has he?)

**A/N:** Hey there peeps! I'm back with the second chapter as promised! Truthfully, I wanted to post on Thursday but the website was down. I personally really like this chapter so I hope you enjoy reading it! Thank you for the reviews, favourites, and follows! I was actually a bit disappointed that the traffic stats for the story show up as '0' views since the site was glitching. Now I have absolutely no idea how many people are even reading this *cries*. I hope it'll work this time around though~

 **Disclaimer:** I don't own Fairy Tail. I think I just suffered a double whammy from the anime and manga. Dying.

* * *

 **Title: Boom, Crash, 7 Years Back**

 **Chapter 2: Elvis has left the room (or has he?)**

The ride home was quiet and peaceful save for Levy's faint breathing. She had fallen asleep in no time.

"I guess Levy-chan was rather pooped out from all that socialising."

"True that!" Juvia chuckled a bit as she watched Lucy wipe some drool off Levy's mouth.

"She's such a baby sometimes," the blonde shook her head.

"You know, Lucy-san, I'm glad we've kept in touch with each other. Our whole group I mean."

"Yeah, me too. You guys are probably one of the only joys in my life right now. Oh man, this is so embarrassing to say. Imagine how Cana would react." Lucy smiled bashfully, feeling somewhat self-conscious at her sentimental remark.

"It's not embarrassing! You guys are all important people to Juvia! Well, Cana-san would probably tease us but we all know she loves us a lot too."

"Agreed!"

It was times like this that Lucy felt immeasurable happiness – It made her feel as if she could do anything. She wondered that maybe now would be the right time to ask Juvia about it.

"Hey Juvia, can I ask you something?" She fidgeted with the hem of her dress, unsure if it would ruin the mood.

"Yes, Lucy-san?"

"Back in high school . . . you liked Gray right? Do you still . . . have feelings for him?"

Juvia's breath hitched as she realized that Lucy must have heard her slip of the tongue earlier.

"Well, it'd be a lie if Juvia said that she didn't have lingering feelings for Gray . . . but these feelings that Juvia has are ones will never be reciprocated. You know, Lucy-san, Juvia confessed at the ending of high school but was rejected. But I wonder why I still haven't let it go." She probably didn't realise that she had slipped out of third person speech but her reply made Lucy sad for her friend.

* * *

Lucy was exhausted – both physically and mentally – from the reunion. Once she hit home, she made sure to take a nice long bath. She set her alarm clock after packing her bag for tomorrow's meeting and promptly slipped into bed. For some reason or another, her mind was still wide awake in spite of her earlier tiredness, buzzing with thoughts from tonight's gathering. A complicated mix of emotions filled her heart – happiness, sadness, longing, excitement and loneliness. Great. Before long, she had been tossing and turning in bed for what seemed to be . . . well, longer than an hour. The blonde grumbled, frustratingly ruffled her hair and got up from bed.

"Can't believe I'm doing this," she muttered as she opened her closet doors and began to rummage through her unpacked items. After ten minutes of sorting through her belongings, her eyes landed on a dusty but decorated wooden box. _Bingo_ , she thought to herself. After lugging it out of her closet she brushed away the dust that had settled on the lid of the box. She hesitantly reached her hand towards it, lifting the lid away to reveal dozens of leather-bound journals that were stacked neatly against each other. The spines of each book were dated and labelled neatly in ink cursive writing. Lucy hovered her finger across the first row of books, stopping at the one that had been dated with the year '2007' before removing it from the box.

 _I guess this can be my 'bedtime story' for the night_.

The blonde tucked herself into bed for the second time that night and began flipping through pages of the journal. Each new entry began with a 'Dear mama' and ended with a 'Good night' - each journal held hundreds of letters that she had written to her mother and tonight was the first time in a while she had bothered reading her older letters. She spent the next hour or two skimming through her recounts of her high school days, smiling at some of the things her 17 year old self had written. _How nostalgic._

Deciding it was high time to go sleep, she placed the journal inside her handbag - maybe she could read it in her spare time or something. Within moments, Lucy had drifted off to sleep.

* * *

It was 11 o'clock in the morning and the conference had dragged on for maybe three hours now. The heavy atmosphere in the meeting room was enough to give anyone a sore back and Lucy was literally dying in her seat. Her ass ached, her stomach was empty and growling and the carry-over effects from last night's somewhat emotional reunion still weren't gone.

". . . And that concludes today's meeting. Please take note to fill in the sheets that were handed out earlier during the session."

 _Finally_. Apparently there had been some sort of office politics happening with the top brass and well naturally, the conference had turned from an intended friendly discussion into a full-blown warzone – not that half the uninvolved people cared anyway but it was bad enough to give even them a headache. Lucy quickly exited the room, savouring the fresh air like lifeblood. By the time she had headed back to her office though, she was greeted with a stack of unsigned papers that had been left on her desk– so long for lunch time. Sitting down onto her swivel chair, she let her eyes scan through each and every sheet, fixing and signing areas where necessary. _At this rate, I may as well be a worker robot,_ she thought to herself.

Without realising, her mind had once again drifted back to yesterday's happenings, eliciting a number of drawn out sighs from the blonde. A soft knock at her open door brought Lucy back to reality.

"Oh Aries, what's up?" The blonde smiled at the pink-haired girl though it was somewhat forced.

"Ah, um, yes Lucy-san, I've brought in the draft prints of next week's magazine issue for you to check over."

"Thanks, just place them on the tray to your right. I'll check them once I've finished looking through these forms."

"Um, Lucy-san, are you feeling alright? If you're unwell, then by all means feel free to take a break." Aries looked at her worriedly as she attempted to hide behind the door.

"What makes you say that?"

"Well, um, you've been sighing a lot so I thought maybe something had happened – that is to say, by no means am I stating that you're unable to do your work properly but uh, um, I could always lend you an ear if you'd like to discuss anything with me," the girl began to trail off, struggling to continue the sentence. She waved her hands in the air defensively as if to apologize for what she had said.

 _'Was I that obvious?'_ Theblonde wondered to herself _._ She hadn't realized that she was so hung up on the reunion so perhaps discussing it with Aries would be helpful. Maybe it'd help to get the opinions of a third party after all.

"I'll take you up on that offer, then." She smiled back at Aries, gesturing for her to take a seat. It'd been a while since she last had a heart-to-heart conversation with anyone at all about this issue. The last time was probably . . . some years ago with Levy and co. when they were all drunk at Cana's broken-heart party. She wondered if they remembered it at all.

"Well, you see, Aries – last night I attended my high school reunion. That's what I've been hung up on all day."

"Really? A high school reunion? It must have been fun!"

"To be exact - that's the thing. I _should_ have had fun but I didn't. I reconnected with a lot of my old classmates and maybe it's just me, but seeing where we all are now, it makes me feel somewhat lonely. It made me realize that everyone's moved on from the past. We're no longer the free-spirited and ignorant youth that we once were. We're not allowed to be. We're adults, we have jobs, and we have responsibilities. I miss what we once had but I know it's all just a memory." Lucy stopped to face Aries, looking like a lost child that needed solutions to a problem she didn't know how to fix.

"Lucy-san, why do you have to be so pessimistic? Your friends couldn't have changed all that much – they may be adults now but surely that doesn't mean that you can't still have fun like in the past. Maybe it's precisely because they haven't changed in that respect that makes you miss what you once had. It's not gone; it's not lost; everything is here, right where you are. Perhaps what you need is not a time machine, but the courage to move forward."

The blonde smiled defeatedly at her secretary. "Aries, since when did you become such a good speaker? Maybe you should take my place in meetings." She chuckled a bit when the girl began to launch into a flurry of panicked objections.

"I'm just kidding," she teased before continuing to speak again, "Maybe what I told you was only a half truth. You see, I have many things that I regretted in my final year of high school. Back then, I was focused on my future so I spent much of my time studying. I believed that as long as I fulfilled my set goals, I would achieve happiness. But look at me now – I've gotten where I wanted to be, the life I've mapped out for myself has all but been accomplished, but why is it that I feel not even a single speck of happiness? It all just feels like wasted effort. No, maybe I'm just using this as an excuse. I was a coward who didn't know how to try. I should have cherished that time – how many opportunities had I missed? I can't even count it with all the fingers on my two hands. I'm stuck – stuck in a past where I was only an observer to the many events that unfolded." For the first time ever, Lucy had let it all out. She had just admitted to herself everything she had bottled up in her broken little heart for seven years. Her chocolate orbs stung with tears that she had stubbornly refused to ever let spill and she let herself fall into the motherly embrace Aries offered.

Continuing to comfort the blonde, Aries spoke again, "It's okay Lucy-san. It's only natural to yearn for what is lost but isn't it a pity to spend your future wishing for the past? You can't change what has happened, but the road in front of you is full of many possible paths. You can't return but you can start again, right here, right now. Think of it as a new beginning. I'm not asking you to forget, but I'm asking you to think of what lies ahead. In the end, you only regret the chances you didn't take – so now, why don't you go ahead and take all the possible chances you can?"

Lucy sniffled a little before looking up at Aries, "Aries, you're like a mum."

"A what?!" The pink-haired lady was taken off guard.

"You feel motherly. I lost my mother when I was young so I can't really say it well but I feel somewhat loved." She smiled softly and spoke again, "Hmmm. . . starting afresh – I like the sound of that! Maybe I should look for a new hobby to do? What do you think?"

"I think that's a great idea!"

* * *

It was the afternoon now and Lucy had finished up work a while ago. Skimming through her journal as she walked home, she pondered what she would do next. There was a novel she'd been writing but had neglected for quite a while but her inspiration was dry. Maybe she could try flower arranging or something? Was there a workshop nearby? Wasn't there an institute around the city where you could attend two hour courses for barista and bartending certificates? That sounded interesting though the blonde wondered if she'd ever have a use for those anyway. ' _Well, you never know what the future holds I guess_ ,' She thought to herself, remembering Aries' words. She should probably look this stuff up on the internet once she got home. She could even rope Juvia or someone else into joining her. As countless ideas swam through her mind, Lucy couldn't help but feel a weird sense of happiness and fulfilment. So much so that she didn't even register the playful shouts of children whose school day had ended, the rampant barking of the neighbourhood dog or the sounding of police sirens. She was lost in the adventures of her own world, humming to the sound of her heart.

Before long, she was already facing her house, separated only by the asphalt road. The feeling of excitement and anticipation bubbled up inside her as she began to cross the street - this was probably the most optimistic and motivated she had been in a long time. The way everything was just falling into place felt strangely odd – almost wrong and she was right when the thought crossed her mind. But it was too late. She was abruptly pulled away from her musings as the screeching of tyres, comparable to the sound of fingernails against a chalkboard, assaulted her ears. Almost immediately, she turned to face the source of the noise and all she saw was the white paint of a car because everything else was a blur. In a matter of seconds, the leather-bound journal that was held snugly in the blonde's hands had been flung into the air, her handbag was on the ground, and a loud thud could be heard. Panicked screams and shouts of bystanders could be heard and the police sirens were louder than ever.

"Someone call the ambulance! A girl's been hit!"

"Hello! Can you hear me? What's your name? How many fingers am I holding up?"

"She's losing lots of blood! Has anyone phoned yet? When are they coming?!"

"Leave some space! She needs to breathe!"

There was a mixture of unfamiliar voices – some panicked, some reassuring and others anxious but in spite of the cacophony, all Lucy could feel was the pain that racked her entire body. Everything was a haze and her breathing was irregular and heavy.

"Lucy?! Let me through, I know her! What on earth happened? This can't be happening!" The blonde felt someone grip her hand strongly and she felt a strange warmth that wasn't hers – did she know them? It was no good, she couldn't register anything. At this point, the pain had already numbed but she knew it was still there.

"Come on, stay with me here – everything's going to be alright."

That was a lie and they all knew it. The ruckus surrounding her continued but to Lucy it sounded like hushed background noise. She felt like an observer to her own accident and this only signalled to her approaching end. The world was a cruel place, but really – did she even care anymore?

Just as she was about to raise the white flag she was reminded of her father – Jude. How long had it been since she last visited him? New Years? Wasn't it his birthday soon? Since moving out, she hadn't spent nearly as much time with him as she had before. She must have been stupid to realize this now. What was the point anyway? It would only add to her list of regrets. Speaking of regrets, she had a lot of those. She may have been successful in name but to her, she led a life of failure. As if she had turned on a broken tap, memories of her lifetime played through her mind.

She remembered all these things she had wanted to do but hadn't. Why didn't she join that writing competition? It wouldn't have mattered to her if she had won or lost anyway. Why didn't she stand up for herself when some bullies mocked her artwork? That had taken her hours to finish. Why didn't she raise her hand in class when she knew the answer? Why did she always silently agree with everyone else? Why didn't she talk to Natsu when she had the chance? Why did she not have the courage her parents did?

' _Why am I realizing all of this only when it's too late?_ '

If she had a second chance then she'd be able to rewrite her wrongs but Lucy knew that was an impossible wish.

' _This is stupid_ ,' she thought to herself and everything faded to black.

* * *

"Lucy! Lucy! Wake up, rise and shine! Hello? Awake yet sleepy head? I'm coming in!"

Chocolate eyes fluttered open.

"Oh god, I had the _worst_ nightmare ever," the blonde mumbled as she placed her hand over her face.

"Oh Lucy, you're already up! Hurry up and take a shower. The breakfast is going to get cold and you'll be late for school."

Said blonde did a double-take as her head snapped to her open door. Lo and behold, standing there at the doorway was Jude, wearing a white and navy-striped apron and armed with a spatula in his hand.

"DAD?!" Lucy literally tumbled out of bed.

"YES LUCY?!"

"This isn't real. It can't be." Ignoring her dad's teasing reply, the blonde surveyed her surroundings. The floor was wooden and the walls were decorated with a vanilla and blue-coloured floral wallpaper. To the corner stood a wooden white shelf, filled with novels and textbooks. Not far from the shelf was a cosy study nook . A neatly ironed uniformed hung from the fitted hooks on the wall beside it.

 _'No way.'_

Her eyes flitted to the calendar that sat on her desk, widening in response when they saw the dated year '2007'.

* * *

 **A/N:** SURPRISE! So the time-travel happened! I'm laughing evilly now because I think I just left you with a possible cliffhanger. Shucks. Did anyone expect the time-travel to happen this way? I totally avoided the time machine route (it wasn't even considered) because that would mean that Lucy had control over her situation. Ohohohoho, I feel sorry for the Lucy in my fanfic but the show must go on.

 **Also, can anyone guess the identity of person who helped Lucy when she was struck by the car?** I left a clue! Be a sleuth kids! **Please review! I need to boost my ego and your opinions and general input would help with a lot of things! Reward meh plezzzzz *insert gross slime moment*.**

 **Also, Senbei and I are needing more feedback for if you would like an alternate version of this story where Lucy does not time-travel. We've only gotten one feedback (thank you little angel)! WHAT.**

Until next time then. Cup Ramen signing off!


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